Scones Topped With Preserves Recipe &
Video

I have quite a few scone recipes
on the site. So I guess it's obvious I love scones. I divide them into two
categories. Those made with milk (or cream) and those made with buttermilk. The
main difference is that scones made with buttermilk have a more soft and bread
like texture. And that is what I used in this recipe. What's a little different
is that I top each scone with a nice dollop of preserves (or jam) before baking.
That way I don't have to bother cutting them in half and spreading on the jam
afterwards. I like them best warm from the
oven when the outside crust of the Scone is deliciously crisp, yet the inside
is wonderfully soft and flaky.
You can even smear a little Devon cream or whipped cream on the top of the jam
before serving. A perfect way to start the day.

Buttermilk has a thick and creamy texture with a rich
and tangy buttery taste that is commercially made by adding a bacteria to
whole, skim, or low fat milk. In a pinch you can make a great substitute
by simply adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar,
or lemon juice to 1 cup (240 ml) of milk and then letting it stand about
10 minutes at room temperature. Another option is to use buttermilk
powder, which is now available in some grocery stores and specialty food
stores.

Once the scone dough
is made, it needs to be cut
into rounds. (Although you can cut them into wedge shapes.) What's really
different about these scones is that each scone is topped with some jam
before baking. You do this by pressing your thumb into the top of each
scone to make a deep indentation and then you fill it with a dollop of jam or preserves. You can use any
flavor of jam or preserve. Jams and Preserves are essentially the same
thing as both are a cooked combination of fruit and sugar (and sometimes
pectin). The difference is that preserves still contain chunks of fruit,
whereas jam is more like a thick fruit sauce.

Scones: Preheat your oven to
375
degrees F (190 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking
sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl,
whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut the
cold butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, your fingertips,
or two knives. You want the mixture to look like coarse crumbs. Add the
buttermilk
and stir just until the dough comes together (add more buttermilk if necessary).

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and
gently
knead
the
dough a few times. Then form into a 7 inch (18 cm) round.
Using a 2 1/2 inch (6.5 cm) round biscuit cutter, cut the dough into circles.
Place the scones on your baking sheet. Then, using your thumb, make an
indentation into the middle of each scone, pressing down almost to the bottom of
the scone. Try not to squash the outside edges of the scone. Fill each
indentation with a scant tablespoon of jam.

Bake
for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the
middle of a scone comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

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